CARMEL, Ind. -- Tina Barrett and Sarah Ingram took different paths through the third round of the 48th U.S. Women's Open championship yesterday.

With Crooked Stick Golf Club yielding sub-par efforts all over the place, Baltimorean Barrett produced her best round of the week, a 2-under-par 70, enabling her to get to par-216 for 54 holes.

Ingram was not as successful, bogeying the last three holes after recovering from a shaky start, and finished 76-222.

Barrett, 27, had nine straight pars on the front nine, then had three birdies and a bogey on the back. She capped the round by making a breaking 18-foot putt off a side-hill lie for a birdie at the 18th.

"I had bogeyed the hole the first two days, and I thought I missed that putt, too, but it spun in," Barrett said. The ball caught the lip of the cup, spun around and dropped.

For the round, she did not miss a fairway and hit 14 greens in regulation, with 31 putts. "I hit it solid, especially on the front, and my iron play was good," she said.

The only bogey came at No. 16, where she was short in two, pitched long and failed to get down from 12 feet.

Aside from 18, her other birdies were at 10 (straight in from eight feet) and 11 (12 feet).

Things did not go as well for Ingram, the former Owings Mills resident, who was using a Green Spring Valley Hunt Club bag (she's a member) and sporting a Garrison Forest/Riding cap (she's a graduate of the school).

One of only two amateurs to make the cut, she trails Debbi Miho Koyama, a 1992 UCLA graduate and playing in her fourth Open, by six shots. Koyama had 72-216.

Ingram, 27, was in trouble almost from the start. She was bunkered off the tee on holes No. 2 through 7. In that stretch there was a double bogey, a bogey, and a birdie at the fifth.

She had eagle chances at the two relatively short par-5s, Nos. 9 and 15, but missed a pair of 10-foot putts. There was also a good 10-foot, par-saving putt at the 12th.

"I'm happy with the day, but I wish I hadn't finished like that," she said.

Two years ago, Barrett and Ingram made the Women's Open cut at Colonial CC in Fort Worth, Texas. Barrett tied for 11th with a 7-over 291 and Ingram was the third low amateur with 298 and a tie for 41st.

NOTES: In the second round, Barrett was one of eight players with the most consecutive birdies (three), and Ingram was one of seven with the most pars (15). . . . For 16 events, Barrett has collected 13 checks for $151,551, No. 22 on the LPGA money list. . . . The third round got off to a good start when Missie Berteotti (the odd number among 63 starters) and marker Martha Faulconer (an Indianapolis native on the LPGA tour) played in 3 hours, 26 minutes.